Tuesday, 7 November 2017

Full Text of William Armstrong's Address to the 1863 British Association for the Advancement of Science

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Armstrong's address as president of the British Association is a masterpiece of oration. Not only does he give a really good history of the engineering advancements leading to the rail system, but he speaks of the imminent decline in coal reserves and the need for alternate power sources.

Although his Elswick, Newcastle factories provided employment for tens of thousands, the workers making artillery (to be sold to all sides worldwide) and hydraulic equipment, were grafting 59 hour weeks on very poor wages. However lacking in morality, he was an intelligent engineer, and the address is worthy of a read. Unfortunately the text is small, so please use your browser to zoom to 150%.

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